Disclaimer: I own nothing in regard to GWTW

Author's Notes: Thank you for all the reviews and feedback.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Now that Rhett was trying to be a better person, he no longer wanted to associate with criminals. He no longer frequented Belle's. In fact, he hadn't even known Belle had left town. The night of Mr. Wilkes's party he remembered being in Atlanta in the earlier timeline. The next day he had gone to Belle's to see if she was still in town. He had found out from the bartender the same story he had heard the first time. He remembered being hurt that Belle had not stayed in touch with him but in this timeline, he hadn't tried to stay in touch with her. The truth was he had completely forgotten her existence until the night of Mr. Wilkes's party. He had quickly turned into a family man.

That night while they were in the music room at the piano looking at the piece of sheet music Rhett had just given Scarlett that day, Rhett said, "Belle no longer owns The Painted Lady."

When she had looked at him with surprise, he hoped he hadn't opened up a can of worms. She said, "Yes, she left town over a year ago."

"How did you know?"

"The most famous madam in Atlanta leaves town. You don't think that is going to be the topic of conversation at every sewing bee and committee meeting for the next month."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Scarlett burst out laughing. She said, "I didn't know you didn't know. I thought you weren't saying anything because of what she is and who I am."

"What are you again? A lady, that's it isn't it?"

Scarlett scowled and said, "Enough about her. I am going to play the notes, will you sing the words?"

Rhett smiled and said, "Yes, my dear."

Admittedly Rhett had done some business with the Scallawags and he had made some money off the Republican government. It had been quick and easy money, but he had slowly turned his attention to legitimate business dealings. He was staying away from banks and railroads for he had heard about some of those businesses failing in his earlier timeline. Most of his money was in US bonds. He had been surprised when he had learned from Scarlett that most of her money was in bonds also. He had said to Scarlett, "I am surprised you, a true Southerner, would invest in Yankee bonds."

She had smiled a smile like she had a private joke and had said, "They provide a good yield. They are secretive and easily transportable," She had ruined his mood by adding, "They are easy to redeem unlike other things like property or jewelry." She had laughed when he scowled at her.

Her selling his gifts of jewelry hurt on a personal level but he had to agree with her. She had needed cash much more so than a lot of jewelry she was never going to wear. Although, he felt she should have waited at least a year before she sold his gifts. She should have given him at least a year to come for her. He knew he was being irrational about the whole subject especially considering he had never come for her in the first timeline, but he couldn't help himself. The reason he had not bought her very much jewelry in this timeline was because every time he went into the store to buy her some jewelry, he would get mad again. That was when he bought her a simple gift instead. He liked buying the sheet music especially. It reminded him of them singing together during the war or in London or now. They still sang together a lot in the evening when the children were in bed. They sang a lot of love songs together.

One day he ran into Bob Baker on the street. Mr. Baker had been one of the men whose lives he had saved. They talked for a few minutes and Mr. Baker asked Rhett to attend one of the Democratic party meetings. They were held every Wednesday night at Wilkes' store. He decided to attend one. Maybe they could provide him with some intelligent conversation. Maybe he could do some good for Georgia. He attended the weekly meeting. He enjoyed the conversations and the whiskey.

When he returned the next week, he had been asked to be on a committee to help rid Georgia of the clan. He found out that they met every Thursday at the home of Forrest Brown. Mr. Brown was a widower. His home was more comfortable than the meeting hall.

Rhett went to the meeting because he would like to rid Georgia and the South of the clan. He thought the clan was doing more harm than good. When Rhett showed up for the committee meeting, he found out that the meeting consisted of them playing cards, drinking whiskey, smoking cigars and occasionally telling lewd jokes. Occasionally they would talk about how they could get the clan out of Georgia, but it was definitely not the main topic of conversation. They mocked and made fun of the matrons and some of the more upstanding gentlemen which included the honorable Mr. Wilkes. At the first meeting Rhett attended one of the other gentlemen, Russell Davis, said, "If Mr. Wilkes could ever get that stick out of his ass, he might be an alright person." Rhett had not laughed that hard in years. Rhett had never had so much fun among gentlemen not even in his youth in Charleston.

Scarlett didn't know what was going on at these meetings, but she didn't like it. She knew her husband came home smelling like cigars and whiskey. Rhett would swear he wasn't the one smoking the cigars and he really didn't smoke any. He knew he would enjoy it far too much and wouldn't be able to quit again. Sometimes he smelled so bad, Scarlett would make him take a bath before she would let him get in the bed. What was worse to her was ever so often Rhett would burst out laughing.

When she asked him, "What was so funny?"

He replied, "Something one of the other men said tonight."

"What did he say?"

"You wouldn't find it funny."

She would harrumph and turn her back to him. By this time Rhett was used to his wife giving him her back and since he thought she had a lovely back he really didn't mind. He would just pull her close.

The worst part to Scarlett was how excited Rhett got every Thursday. After dinner he would start checking his watch almost every five minutes. His face would take on an expression of great excitement. At these times she knew what her husband had looked like as a young boy before he became the hard man he was today. She remembered him saying something about having a child was a novel experience for him and so little in his life was new and different, so she was happy he was so delighted to be going to these meetings. She also knew he wasn't misbehaving. She knew he wouldn't do that.

Scarlett never tried to stop him from going. She really was happy that something in his life brought him this amount of excitement. She knew that since he had been disowned that he hadn't had a lot of men that he would call a friend if any. She would not interfere in any way, but she swore one of these times he randomly burst out laughing she was going to kill him.

Scarlett and Rhett did their Christmas shopping in October in anticipation of her going into her confinement in November. As they were walking around going from shop to shop, Rhett said, "In Europe the women don't go into confinement."

"I am fine with going into confinement. I don't want anyone to see me in this grotesque shape."

"I think you look beautiful."

Scarlett smiled at her husband and said, "Thank you, honey."

Rhett knew that his statement had not made any difference to Scarlett's opinion about her shape, but he did think she looked beautiful. He knew that most of it was because his child was causing this change to her figure, but he had even thought she was beautiful when she had been carrying Ella. That might have been influenced by him pretending the baby was his child. He briefly wondered how many children they would have until she went through the change of life or she banished him from her bed. He would have to stay diligent about using preventatives. He certainly didn't want to get banished from her bed although he was pretty sure he could seduce his way back into her bed.

Rhett's mother and sister had come for Christmas every year since the couple had gotten married. This year they were just going to stay until the child was born like they had when Vicky was born. They had arrived early supposedly because of Scarlett's confinement but Rhett knew that there was something going on between Rosemary and Mr. Jackson. He hoped his wife didn't notice. She was very fond of Mr. Jackson and his teaching skills. In fact, he sometimes wondered if she wasn't a little too fond of Mr. Jackson. He was an attractive man after all. Rhett laughed and shook off those thoughts. He knew he was very jealous of Scarlett. About a year after Vicky's birth, he had stopped fighting with himself and had accepted that he was just a helpless fool around her. Fortunately for him she acted like she was a helpless fool around him also.

Scarlett liked Rhett's mother very much she was a cross between her mother and Melanie.

Scarlett would ask her mother-in-law questions she would ask her mother.

"Mother when do you think I should move Wade into his own room?"

"How old will he be on his next birthday?"

"Ten"

"That is probably a good age"

"Mother do you think it is alright that Vicky is still having nightmares?"

"She will grow out of them."

"Tell me about Rhett as a boy."

Scarlett loved these stories because they gave her a different perception of Rhett. Sadly, she noticed that Elizabeth never told her any stories about Rhett after he turned sixteen. Scarlett guessed that was when he became a rebellious young man.

One afternoon while Melly was visiting Scarlett had said, "I would so like to know about Rhett's misadventures in Charleston. I will ask Mother tomorrow."

"Dear, don't. I'm sure that is something Mrs. Butler doesn't want to talk about."

"Why? It was so long ago."

"I feel sure it was a painful time for Mrs. Butler. Whether she felt her husband was doing the right thing or not she had to stand by his side as he disowned her child."

As Scarlett sat there, she knew Melly was right. In the earlier timeline she would never have wanted to talk about Bonnie's death. Ever.

"I am so lucky to have your wisdom and insight."

"I am so lucky to have your courage and boldness."

The ladies smiled at each other.

"Prudence came and sat down next to me at the last sewing bee. She started telling me about you know what again. I guess she thought it was alright because you weren't there. I interrupted her and said, 'As Scarlett said you need to go see Dr. Meade about all that.' I stood up and walked away. I may have created my first enemy."

"Don't worry, dear, she will blame it all on me."

To which they both had laughed.

That night after supper while they were all in the parlor, Scarlett watched Rhett and his mother interact and for the first time noticed how Rhett's mother was always touching him. She looked at Rosemary talking with Mr. Jackson. She smiled and thought, "It is nice for them to have a little romance in their lives.'

Scarlett noticed that Rosemary was always escorting Ella to her lessons with Mr. Jackson. Scarlett then noticed that Mr. Jackson and Rosemary seemed to be spending a lot of time together. She noticed the looks they were giving each other over the dining room table. Scarlett was happy for them to both have someone to flirt with.

Scarlett thought, 'The immature child that I was in the first timeline I would have been jealous that Mr. Jackson was flirting with Rosemary and not me even though I am in love with Rhett. I am glad that I am no longer that child anymore.'